Aromatic hydrocarbons are an important commodity in the petroleum and petrochemical industries. The most commercially important aromatics include benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene, and xylenes. Aromatics are conventionally produced by catalytic reforming of various petroleum feed stocks. For example, lower alkanes can be catalytically converted aromatics.
Shale gas contains approximately 15% of ethane. Conventionally, the methane and ethane are separately isolated from, for example, shale gas using a cryogenic method. Then the isolated methane is converted to aromatics and the isolated ethane is converted to aromatics in separate reaction systems, as they each require different reaction temperatures and possibly different catalysts. However, isolating the methane and ethane, as well as using different reaction systems is energy intensive.
Thus, there is a need for further improved processes for preparing aromatics from lower alkanes, which are more efficient and have a high yield of aromatic hydrocarbons.